MYK SILK 2023 WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

Where there is a woman, there is magic. MYK Silk always supports and inspires women to achieve their full potential and fulfill their goals and dreams. This month is Women’s History Month, and there's no better time to celebrate the accomplishments of women. 

In honor of Women’s Month, we’re highlighting a few incredible influencers we've worked with before through a fun Q&A. Read below to learn more about these amazing female bosses! 

Petra Smeltzer Starke @petrasmeltzer

Petra Smeltzer Starke is the founder and CEO of a global growing hot yoga healthy lifestyle brand SweatNGlow. She partners nationwide with businesses and charities to promote yoga, fitness, skincare, and nutrition. She is the published author of a bestselling book on her journey from Communism growing up in Czechoslovakia to her times in the Obama White House. Petra used to serve Obama’s transition team and later she served as General Counsel to the White House Council of Economic Advisors and Senior Advisor to President Obama. More recently she served as a member of the Biden-Harris Transition Team. 

 

Tell us a little bit about yourself

I am a proud Mother and business owner who has made health & fitness my lifetime of work as well as have been fortunate enough to have worked in the White House and live the American Dream.

Who is the most influential woman you know? How does she inspire you?

 I have two:  one who unfortunately is no longer with us but is always in my heart, my Mother; and second one is Michelle Obama who I was fortunate enough to work with in the White House. My Mother inspired me by leading by example and by always encouraging me to live life with passion and to have the discipline needed to make goals for your family. Michelle Obama has inspired not only me but more importantly so many little girls worldwide to believe in themselves that they can become whoever they want.  She is a wonderful role model.

How do you use your platform to support and give back to your community?

I have utilizes SweatNGlow to help counsel and work with Blue Star Families to help military families who have served our nation and often face PTSD.

What does International Women's Month mean to you? Any message you want to share with your community?

It means we give special recognition to all the female pioneers and trailblazers who came before us and who often suffered, but overcame obstacles, and paid a terrible price to pave the way for this generation of female leaders. My message: Never give up.  Even when you are at the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.

 

Vanessa Chamberlin @silverliberation

Vanessa Chamberlin is a grey hair, beauty & health influencer who is currently based in Las Vegas. She is the founder of @silverliberation, the author of a best selling book The Fire Driven Life. She is an experienced and inspirational content creator and speaker who has helped countless women to love themselves from the inside out. 

 

Tell us a little bit about yourself

I'm Vanessa and I'm a content creator and speaker, pro-aging personality, plant-rich diet pusher, former high-end fashion boutique owner, jazz singer, and and the founder of @silverliberation. My mission is to help women to love themselves from inside out by practicing self love, nourishing their body with healthy food, encouraging movement, and meditation.

Who is the most influential woman you know? How does she inspire you?

Although I've met quite a few extraordinary women in my life, when I reflect on the women who have made the biggest  impact on me, I most often think of those women that don't seek the limelight. The women who are living their life in such a loving, giving extraordinary way, those women that according to society standards, might be deemed "ordinary"- the moms, the sisters, the nurses, the women that are just showing up every day, taking care of their families, or those women who have sacrificed so much to raise a family, as well managed to create a beautiful career with passion and purpose for themselves. It is those women who have had the biggest impact on me.

The everyday woman inspires me the most, by showing me, that ultimately, how we show up, and live in the everyday, when no one is looking, those are the most important moments of life. Those are the moments that build character, that build beautiful relationships, and that build strong resilient children, who grow up to be loving contributors to our world. I guess you could say that women in their most intimate feminine role as a human, are their most powerful. That's where the magic of a woman resides.

How do you use your platform to support and give back to your community?

My sole purpose is to inspire other women to let go of what no longer serves them- for when we let go of it no longer serves us, we create space and opportunity for something new. I am here to turn beauty standards on their head. Teaching women that they can age their way. There is no one right way to navigate the aging process. I teach women to learn how to love themselves from the inside out, especially during the aging process. When we learn to truly love ourselves, imperfections and all, we ultimately create a more joyful, peaceful experience throughout all of life's seasons.

What does International Women’s Month mean to you? 

International women's day is a celebration of the incredibly beautiful women of every background, every race, every age, shape and size, all doing their part in their own unique way. To be a woman has been one of the greatest gifts I've ever been given. I see the magic and possibility in every woman. With each passing day, especially as I've gotten older, I love and appreciate the power within the women's community. When we rise up together, when we support one another, instead of tearing one another down, it's nothing short of extraordinary.

Any message you want to share with your community?

I want to give a special message of love and gratitude to my own beautiful silver sisterhood community. When I decided to let go of the hair dye in 2019, I never knew I would become a part of the most extraordinary group of women I've ever known. A group of women of all ages, backgrounds in ethnicities, coming together to support one another initially to let go of the hair dye, but ultimately to live life with more joy, with more freedom, to live life to all its stages on our own terms, without apology. If there ever were a group of women that I am more proud to know, it would be my fellow silver sisters. We are paving the way for the next generation of ladies to show up more fully -to let go of society, standards, and how they should act, look like, or feel, and encourage them to start listening to their own hearts and desires, and create the life that fulfills them the most.

 

Hetal Patel @hetall_patell

Hetal is a fashion & travel influencer based in NYC who loves to share her lifestyle and aesthetics with her audience. She balances a career in FinTech with her passion for digital storytelling. Aside from being a content creator, she is also the co-founder & coo of South Asian New York Fashion Week, and the manager of Ten Ton Studio. 

 

Tell us a little bit about yourself

Hi! My name is Hetal Patel. I'm the co-founder of South Asian New York Fashion Week, part time content creator and work full time in FinTech. I love fashion, coffee, reading, travelling and going to the Met.

Who is the most influential woman you know? How does she inspire you?

My mom is my biggest inspiration and influence. She came to this country with very little because she wanted me to have the agency to choose the life I wanted--something she never got to do. She is so strong, brave and extremely kind. I really do want to emulate all of these traits and the grace by which she lives her life.

How do you use your platform to support and give back to your community?

I think it's really important to use whatever little "influence" you have on your community to support, educate and highlight issues that are plaguing the world. One of the biggest issues I've noticed is the degradation of women's rights across the globe. Whether it's Iran or overturning Roe V Wade in the US, it's extremely important to share support and also voice support for other women and their plights.

What does International Women’s Month mean to you? Any message you want to share with your community?

It's a reminder to be grateful for the rights I have that my mother and grandmother didn't and also a time to educate myself about all the wonderful women that came before me and kept pushing the envelope. If it wasn't for the suffragettes, I wouldn't be able to vote. If it wasn't for Gloria Steinem, there would never be conversations about equal rights and access for women. If it wasn't for African American women that marched for the Civil Act of 1964, immigrants like my parents would not have the rights that they did. I have benefitted from a long history of protest, struggles and activism, which is extremely important to recognize.

I hope everyone (men and women) are inspired this month to educate themselves about the issues plaguing women and how to lend their support. I would like to leave everyone with this quote from Maya Angelou, "Each time a woman time stands up for herself, without knowing it possibly, without claiming it, she stands up for all women."

 

Rebekah Brewer @rebekahhh14

Rebekah is a health & lifestyle influencer who is unapologetic about loving her natural hair. She focuses on and shares her passion for beauty, health, and fitness through her social media. She turns her passion for fitness into a career successfully, now she is a certified personal trainer and sports nutritionist as well.

 

Tell us a little bit about yourself

I’m Rebekah, 25 years old and extremely passionate about health and fitness. I started playing sports at a really young age and have grown to turn my passion into a career. I also come from a very mixed background. I was adopted at two weeks old and had to learn to appreciate my culture even though I was not always around it growing up. Establishing my identity as a young black woman has been a long but very rewarding journey. I have learned to embrace my natural hair and the things that make me different. I love using my platform on here to help other girls do the same.

Who is the most influential woman you know? How does she inspire you?

I would have to say my mom and my sister are two of the most influential woman in my life. Growing up I learned a lot from my mom about making the most of what life throws at you. She always has that optimistic outlook that helps you remember that everything has a silver lining. And my sister has shown me in more ways than one that I can do anything I put my mind to.  She is a great example of someone who will get an idea and find a way to make it happen. And both of them are some of the most supportive people I have in my life. 

How do you use your platform to support and give back to your community?

I use my platform to help represent diversity in my community. And encourage girls to be their authentic self.  

What does International Women’s Month mean to you? Any message you want to share with your community?

To me International Women’s Month means empowering the women around me to become the best version of themselves, while celebrating their success. If I have anything to share with my community it would be to know your worth, and know what you bring to the table. We often question our worth and sell ourselves short when our potential is endless.

 

Lauryn Nicole @thelaurynicole

Lauryn Nicole is a curly hair influencer who shares her love of beauty, fashion & lifestyle. As a creative, she loves to share each aspect of her life, including her life as a college student, and creating fashion/styling looks. She advocates for natural hair care, tips to take care of curly hair! By sharing her haircare journey, Lauryn hopes to inspire others to create haircare routines that work for them and help embrace their natural hair.

 

Tell us a little bit about yourself

My name is Lauryn Nicole and I am a third year student at Michigan State University. I have a passion for educating people on how to take care of their natural hair, as well as teaching them different, easy, and unique ways to style their hair. I hope to inspire people to embrace their curly/kinky hair, as well as be a black influencer that people can look up to. 

Who is the most influential woman you know? How does she inspire you?

The most influential woman that I know is simply my mother. My mom, besides being the mother of four educated, beautiful girls and an amazing wife, is a strong, beautiful independent woman. She has and will always inspire me because of her work ethic, creativity, poise and drive. 

My mom was also the first person to teach me about my hair and always had my hair looking amazing, so regarding what I showcase and teach on my social media- a lot of my methods are from her. 

How do you use your platform to support and give back to your community?

I use my platform to support as well as give back to my community by using my platform to educate as well as spread awareness on issues that are important to me, regardless if it's about natural hair care.

What does International Women’s Month mean to you? Any message you want to share with your community?

Women are so strong and resilient and I love being able to acknowledge and reflect on/about all of the amazing things that women have contributed to our society.

 

Thank you to all the amazing, strong, fearless and empowering women who inspire us everyday. We hope that their stories will allow other women to see themselves and know what is possible for them.